Searching for Ogygia
by mishalina
Summary: Nico is washed up on Ogygia and he falls in love with Calypso, but then he wakes up. Was it all a dream? He HAS to find out. He searches for years, wondering if he'll ever see her again...  Nilypso
1. The Gods Manipulate My Life

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians... But I sure wish I did :)_**

Don't ask me how I got there. You're on the same page as me.

It was a year after the battle of the Titans. I had been treated badly for most of my life, but after the battle, things were finally starting to look up! I had shown up with a bunch of dead guys who'd helped fight against the Titans! I was a hero! Yeah, right. No one ever likes a son of Hades, even if he does have a cabin to live in. The only people who'd had the guts to stay friends with me and risk being ridiculed were Percy and his friends.

I was on a plane heading for Greece. I'd gotten a strange message that told me I had to visit the old Mount Olympus. I would have to fly through the air, over water. Risky, I know. I was venturing into Zeus's realm, flying over Poseidon's. Even then, I had known it was a bad idea. But something about the message compelled me... It was as if it had been written by a god, and if I didn't go, something bad would happen. Not that that wasn't possible...

When the plane finally started to fly over water, I suddenly found myself falling. I looked up for the plane, but all I saw was open sky. Below me, all there was was open sea.

I was falling too fast, but how could I slow down? I'd never fallen before. I awkwardly moved through the air, trying desperately to slow myself down. Finally, I realized that when I straightened out and fell face-first, I fell more gradually.

After what seemed like hours of falling, I took a deep breath and smacked into the dark, uninviting waters. Because I had still been falling on my stomach, I belly-flopped, but the cold water reduced some of the stinging. I plunged down about fifteen feet - the pressure made my head feel like it was going to explode! Black spots filled my eyes as I desperately tried to swim towards the surface. I noticed some menacing looking shadows in the water around me as my head cleared, so I kicked my legs as I had seen other campers do in swimming lessons. Luckily it worked, and I reached the surface before I passed out from lack of oxygen.

My head broke the surface. Drawing in a breath of the salty sea air, I wondered where I would go. Would I be eaten by sharks or would I simply get tired and drown? I would probably drown. It was my first time swimming, and I didn't know what to do. I bobbed up and down out of the water, struggling to stay above. What was it that Percy had taught the other camper? Frustrated, I tried to concentrate. Oh, yes. He taught them how to 'tread water' so they could stay afloat. I waved my arms over the water and kicked my legs, trying my best to keep my head above.

As I conserved my energy, I scanned the water for something - anything that could help me. Out of the corner of my stinging eyes, I noticed something I hadn't seen before. My heart pounded with excitement when I realized what it was - an island! I had to get there! Maybe they had food!

i desperately attempted to manipulate the water so I could get to the island. I ended up doggy-paddling and kicking my legs awkwardly.

I collapsed on the shore, exhausted. I wondered if there were even any people on this island... As my tired eyes closed, I saw a young girl standing over me. She was absolutely stunningly beautiful, and I realized that she _had_ to be a goddess. Not any goddess I'd ever seen before, though, and I was pretty sure I'd seen them all at least once, at that Olympian council last year...

"You're going to be okay," she reassured me, and as I drifted off, I felt her strong arms lift me off the ground...

* * *

I woke up in a strange bed with that same girl looking down at me. Light streamed through the"Where... Where am I?" I asked her.

"Good morning, sleepy head!" she said cheerily, "You are on Ogygia." I must have made a strange face, because she frowned and said, "'Good morning sleepy head' _is_ something you mortals say, right?" I nodded.

"So, wait, you _are_ a goddess?" I asked.

"Well, yes... But I sure am not treated like one... I am Calypso." I tried to remember who that was.

"So... You're father is... a Titan, right?"

"Atlas," she said sadly, "And that is the reason why I am treated badly."

"I'm treated like an outcast, too. My dad is Hades, god of the underworld. Nobody likes me because I hang out with dead people."

She nodded understandingly. "So... do you have anything you are excited to return to? If you wish to leave, I will help you."

"Actually, I don't really have anything to return to. Camp, maybe, but I don't really want to go back there."

"Ah." she said. She attempted to keep voice expressionless, but I could tell she was glad.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. I nodded vigorously. I was _starving_! She grabbed my hand and pulled me gently down the hall of her little house towards the dining room. Some Nectar and Ambrosia was laid out on the table for two. I ate hungrily, but carefully, too much Nectar or Ambrosia can kill a half-blood.

When I was done, I wiped some Nectar off of my chin and looked up at Calypso, who had been watching me the entire time.

"How did you find your way to Ogygia?" she asked curiously.

I frowned. "I think I fell off of a plane." She gasped.

"Oh, dear. A son of Hades, in a plane? No wonder you fell out. Zeus hates it when his brother's children venture into his realm. Although, Poseidon should have tried to harm you as well... I wonder why he didn't drown you?" she mused aloud, "Maybe he took pity on you because you already had a tough fall."

"I guess..." I said, but I was uncertain. Why would Poseidon take pity on me? I was _sure_ it couldn't simply be because I had already had a tough fall... I put it aside. I didn't want to try to guess at the motives of the gods, I was just glad that I was alive and safe on a beautiful island with the most beautiful goddess I had ever seen (sorry, Aphrodite).

* * *

_**Mount Olympus:**_

Poseidon walked confidently up to Zeus, who was staring out over the New York skyline.

"Why? Why did you wait to throw Nico out of the plane until he was over the water? You could have, in the least, dropped him onto land, while the plane was taking off, so he would have had a better chance of survival," Poseidon said angrily.

"Why did you save him? Why is he so important to you? He is a threat: our brother's offspring. He is dangerous. You should have killed him. Instead, you put Calypso's island directly into his path."

"He is my son's friend. My son cares for him. My son is the only one who _will_ care for him. The poor child..."

"_The poor child_!" Zeus exclaimed, outraged, "He is a threat, he will destroy us all if we allow him to venture into our realms. He is too powerful!"

"You are not scared of a mere _boy_, are you, brother?"

"He's no mere _boy. _He is a strong half-blood who has many powers. He would be able to kill my children in a moment, if he so wished."

"Ah. Your children. Have you not yet told Hera about your recent... _mishap_?"

"Don't attempt to tell me what to do, brother. This discussion is not over. Hades will be angry, and there may well be a war if he learns it was you who landed the child on Ogygia."

"I only did it to save him. Children of Hades are not very capable of love. I do not believe-" Poseidon was cut off by Zeus.

"If Aphrodite has anything to do with it, he will fall in love with her. Do you see her around here? No. Every time she disappears without telling me, she is off tormenting another hero with thoughts of love, and I am willing to bet that she is thinking of pairing that boy with Calypso right now..."

Boy, was she ever...

* * *

_**The Underworld:**_

Hermes appeared before Hades, disrupting his dinner.

"An anonymous someone wishes to inform you that your son happens to have found his way to Ogygia."

"Ogygia... How is that a threat? My son will not fall in love, he is too consumed with thoughts of revenge."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong," said Hermes, "The anonymous person also said that Aphrodite has been watching the two of them..."

"No! Go to my son, right now. Tell him if he does not return to camp, there will be grave consequences."

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	2. Aphrodite Makes Up My Mind for Me

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians... But I sure wish I did :)_**

Calypso and I were sitting on the beach, talking.

"So how long have you lived-" I didn't get to finish my question because Hermes suddenly appeared, standing right in front of us.

"Nico," he began, "Your father has requested that you return to New York immediately. I would listen if I were you... Hades would be a terrible enemy..."

"But-"

"I have no time for 'but' s. I have many messages to deliver. Choose wisely, son of Hades..." And then he was gone.

"No... Not again..." Calypso whispered hoarsely. Her eyes swam with tears.

"What do you mean, not again?" I asked.

"The Fates always send me someone I can't help but fall in love with, someone who always has some reason why he can't stay. I thought you would be different... Never before has the person sent not had a reason to leave... Never before have the Fates sent two heroes such a short time apart... First it was Percy Jackson. Now you... And now you have to leave."

"So _that's _where Percy was in the story Annabeth told me about thinking he was dead... I thought maybe that was where I was." I mused aloud.

"You know him?" she asked, her sadness forgotten.

"Yeah. He took a dip in the river Styx a little while ago... Brave. I thought he wouldn't be able to get up the courage..."

"But did he... survive?"

"Oh, yes. He definitely survived. Then he killed my dad's army and overpowered him."

"What? He _overpowered_ Hades? Wow."

"Yeah. Before the battle of the Titans. So I guess if he hadn't left, the Titans would be back in control."

"Oh..." she said. Neither of us said anything for a while.

"In Percy's story, I'm pretty sure you lived in a cave. What happened to it?" I asked curiously. She laughed.

"My house is whatever I want it to be! Some days I feel like living in darkness, but recently I have desired more light."

"Oh." Lucky. I wished I could change the scenery around me that easily...

"So... Are you going to do what your father tells you? Are you going to leave?" she asked finally, breaking the silence.

At that moment, something changed inside of me. I felt all gooey inside. Mushy, fuzzy, warm. It took me a few seconds to recognize the feeling - a feeling I hadn't felt since Bianca was alive: love. I stared deep into Calypso's eyes, suddenly feeling a strong urge to hug her, to hold her hand, and, more embarrassingly, to kiss her. Looking back on it, I guess it must have been Aphrodite's doing, because I'm sure I wouldn't have felt like that on my own...

I thought for a long time. I thought about the mushy warm feeling inside of me. I thought about how long she must have been here, how many times she had fallen in love only to have her heart broken, and I realized I couldn't do that to her.

"I think I'm going to stay right here," I said finally.

"What? Why?"

I took a moment to put my thoughts into words.

"Because I don't want your heart to be broken again, and because you're the first person who's ever made me feel loved. I can't go back to being an outcast after finally finding the place where I belong." My hand searched for hers in the rough sand, intertwining our fingers. Her eyes dropped down to where our hands had joined and then back up to my lips. I somehow understood what she wanted. She wanted to kiss me.

I leaned in to meet her soft lips- my first kiss. It was the most amazing thing I'd ever experienced! I felt stronger, older, like I could face anything, like a man. I couldn't believe anyone would ever want me enough to kiss me. All my ability of being loved had disappeared when Bianca died, and I wasn't sure if I could comprehend the fact that Calypso, a goddess, wanted me.

She moved her body closer to mine, but unable to believe what was happening, I pulled away. The mushy feeling abandoned me as I remembered myself. Nico diAngelo. An outcast. I didn't belong anywhere, least of all with a goddess! We both stared out into the sea awkwardly before she finally broke the silence.

"Are you ashamed, hero?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you stop?" she asked. I tried to think of a way to put my feelings into words, but instead answered with a question.

"Why did you want to kiss me?"

"Because I love you," she assured me.

"But you just met me. How can you say you love me?"

"Gods are more capable of love than mortals, we just habitually hide it," she answered. I couldn't tell if she was telling the truth, but her gaze never left my eyes.

"So you really want me. I mean, you don't just feel guilty because I've never truly been loved?"

She answered with another kiss, this time more passionate than before.

"I want you to stay more than anything I've ever wanted in my entire life," she whispered when she finally pulled away, "And I have lived a very long time." I looked into her emotion-filled eyes and realized that the mushy feeling had returned. Somehow, I truly loved her, too.

"Then I want to stay. Forever and ever." And I meant it with all of my heart. My life was becoming more complicated by the second. Thanks, Aphrodite.

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	3. I Decide to Search

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians... But I sure wish I did :)_**

Ugh. It was so dark. The day before when I'd woken up it was all light. I tentatively opened one eye and then I sat up quickly.

"No, no, no. No way am I back at camp!" I whimpered, "No way was it just a dream! Dreams aren't like that!" I was close to tears. I had just had the best time of my life, and then I woke up in Camp Half-Blood in the ugly cabin I had all to myself. Felling extremely confused, I realized I had to talk to Chiron.

When I found him, his eyes lit up. "Nico! You have returned from Greece already? It's only been two days!"

So it _hadn't_ been a dream. I had really been taken back to Camp Half-Blood against my will.

* * *

**_In the Underworld..._**

I walked straight for my dad. I was going to give him a piece of my mind. I was pretty brave, for a little kid, just walking up to my dad angrily. I was ready to kill him, if I had to. I didn't care that he was a god. I had convinced myself I was strong enough to face him.

"Ah, hello, Nico! What brings you here?" Hades said cheerily.

"You brought me back to Camp Half-Blood. Why?" I asked menacingly. His face clouded.

"You are the only son I have old enough to fight. I need you to get a quest and prove that sons of Hades are not just born to keep the souls company."

"She _loves _me, dad! And I love her! You can't pull me away from that!"

"_She _doesn't love you. She's never truly loved anyone. _I _love you."

"I don't believe you, dad," I said boldly, "I'm going to find her, even if I die trying." And with that, I turned and walked out of the room with my father protesting behind me.

* * *

"Hey, Nico! You're back!" Percy exclaimed, giving me a man-hug when I had returned to camp.

"Yeah."

"Why so sad?"

"My dad pulled me back here just when I was starting to enjoy myself."

"Sounds like you want to talk about it. Am I right?"

"I guess..." I followed Percy to the lake front and took a seat on the dock.

"So why would your dad take you away from a place you wanted to be?"

I told Percy everything. Tears began to form in my eyes as I talked about Calypso. "Poor Calypso, she probably thinks I ran away in the middle of the night, realizing I didn't love her after all. I broke her heart just like every other person who ever came to visit her."

"Oh. Calypso. I almost stayed with her..." Percy looked me in the eyes, "But I realized I had to come back to the people I loved."

"But she's the only one I love!"

"I forgot. You don't have much to live for around here..." Percy patted me on the back.

"Why do you think your dad didn't kill me when I fell into the water?" I asked, trying to avoid the awkward silence that had fallen between us.

He thought for a while. "I'm not sure. Hey, I know! We'll ask him! Maybe he'll help you find her again!" he exclaimed brightly.

"I don't know, our dads are rivals... Maybe he just took pity on me once and he'll kill me next time." I was pretty sure that no god would ever actually _save_ me... I probably had just been lucky.

"Come on, at least give it a shot!" He sounded so convinced that it would work that I had to agree to go with him.

* * *

I followed Percy out of the elevator and into Mount Olympus. We found Poseidon sitting on his throne exactly where Percy told me he'd be. Percy explained my predicament.

"Why didn't you kill me, Poseidon?" I asked when he was done.

"I couldn't kill my favourite hero's friend!" He smiled at Percy.

"Then will you help me find Calypso's island?" I asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to do that. I did it for a hero once, but his father got extremely mad at me and sent his child right off of the island." I realized he was talking about me. So he'd helped me once and had gotten into trouble because of it!

"Oh. Well, thanks anyways." I said. I was about to turn and leave when Poseidon called out "Wait!"

"I _can_ help you with one thing. I will give you a boat and you may search. Chances are, you will find Ogygia one day." Yeah, right. I was pretty sure most people never found the island in their entire lives, and they_ never_ did it twice. But I had to take the chance. I _loved _her!

"When you are ready to leave, stand by the ocean and call out for me. Your boat will appear. Now if you will excuse me..." Poseidon gave Percy a good-bye hug, telling him to visit soon. A wave of envy washed over me. My father would never have hugged me. Then he was gone.

"Looks like you're going by boat!" Percy said as we rode in the elevator.

"Great." I said unenthusiastically.

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	4. Aphrodite Pleads My Case

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians... But I sure wish I did :)_**

It was four years later. I had been searching the oceans relentlessly for all that time, rarely docking my boat except to add to my supply of food. I had killed monster upon monster. I had learned how to take care of a ship, without a crew, and even how to swim! The ocean hated me, though. I'd had more than my share of jellyfish stings...

I was certain I had checked every square inch of the ocean, but there was no sign of Ogygia. But I would _not_ give up. I couldn't! Never! I couldn't go back and tell my dad that I was wrong to ever go looking. I had to keep trying.

* * *

**_Aphrodite's point of view, on Mount Olympus.  
_**

I looked down at Nico diAngelo sadly. You would never believe what he'd been through. In the past four years, he had made his way into and out of terrible predicaments clumsily, combing the seas for his one true love. But how could I help him? I was forbidden. Calypso was out of bounds unless you were Zeus, Hades, Hera or Poseidon. Once, Poseidon had helped Nico find her. Hades had been so angry at him there had almost been a war, until Poseidon assured him that he had simply saved him from the fall from the plane he had been on. If he had not, Nico would be dead. I had taken Nico's little trip to Ogygia as an opportunity to pair him and Calypso together, filling his little head with thoughts of love so he wouldn't want to leave. But Hades had whisked him back to camp. He probably would never find Calypso again.

I would go talk to my father, Zeus. Maybe he would make an exception. Maybe he would allow me to help Nico. Wait, what was I saying? I always won! As soon as I called him 'Daddy', I was in his head.

"Hey, Daddy!" I said in a cute, high-pitched voice, "I have a question..."

"Yes, Aphrodite?" He thundered affectionately. He was the best father ever, he always gave me what I wanted. I tried not to go to him for things too much, though, or else he would start to win our arguments!

"Well, we haven't had a tragic love story since Percy and Annabeth last year, and I have kind of had my eyes on this hero named Nico diAngelo. He had a run-in with Calypso four years ago, and he's been searching for her ever since. Daddy, he's been trying for so long! I watch him every day, and he has no intention of giving up. He's just going to search until he dies! So, I really wanted to send him to her," I paused for a second, but when Zeus opened his mouth to speak, I cut him off. "But, not just yet. The story's not tragic enough yet. Something terrible has to happen first, like a terrible storm that breaks his ship to pieces and crash lands him right onto Ogygia. Daddy, please?" I flashed him those puppy dog eyes I was so famous for.

"Aphrodite, you know that Calypso is busy serving her punishment right now. She fought on the Titans' side, and now she must stay on that island for eternity."

"But, Daddy, she has been punished for so long! Surely we can allow her to at least live with him. It's not like she will be able to leave her island, I just want to guide him to her!"

Zeus sighed. "I can never win with you. You make a great case and stick with it, showing me those perfect little eyes that are so hard to resist..."

"Oh, Daddy, that's because I don't come unless I know I can win."

He sighed again. "Fine. Go ahead. But don't let Hades catch wind of this, or we may have a war of the gods to deal with..."

I smiled happily as I turned away, already plotting my next great love story. It would be a million times better than simply a storm! I would wash him up to her shores on the verge of death, and she would nurse him back to health, romantically...

I was so good at getting my way! And finally Nico would find his true love... Oh, how I love a good tragic love story!

**_Thanks for reading! Comment and tell me what you think!_**


	5. I Enter the Sea of Monsters

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians... But I sure wish I did :)_**

The wind changed instantaneously that day. I had learned a lot in my years searching the oceans, but the wind had never risen like this. It was almost unreal...

As I stared out to sea, Percy and Annabeth suddenly appeared on the deck.

"Whoa! Where did you come from?" I asked. I was freaking out. They had appeared out of the blue: almost as if they had teleported, like the gods.

"The gods sent us here," Percy grinned. "We have a lot to explain, and only about half an hour to do it."

"But how... How did you-" I stuttered.

"It's a long story," Annabeth cut in. "Maybe we should tell you over a coffee." I quickly agreed, motioning for them to follow me below deck.

Their story was long and extremely interesting, but I assumed that they had come for a reason other than to catch up. I was right.

"You may have guessed that we didn't just pop in for a visit," Annabeth said, "And you also may have noticed the change in the wind. You've nearly entered the Sea of Monsters. You still have to pass Scylla and Charybdis in order to get in, but they aren't very far away, so the gods sent us to help you. There are many dangers, so we think you should re-read the stories about Odysseus before you make any moves. It would be better if you had a crew, but you've survived this long without one, so we have some things for you."

"Here," Percy said, pulling a crumpled old map and a strange looking silver packet out of his pocket. "This is something... We don't even know what it is, do we, Annabeth?" Annabeth shook her head as he gave me the silver packet. "Anyways, the gods assure us that if you throw it into Charybdis's mouth, it will force it to close for a while. You'll be able to make it through, but the gods only gave us one packet, so I think you'll have to get creative if you need to leave the Sea of Monsters again...

"And this is a map Odysseus made after his adventures," Percy handed me the map. The Sea of Monsters changes all the time, so really it shouldn't be accurate, but Poseidon put a charm on it, so it changes _with_ the Sea."

"You should be able to bypass most of the dangers, but some will be unavoidable," Annabeth put in, "And we should warn you, some of the places have been modernized. For example, Circe calls herself C.C. and turns men into guinea pigs, rather than boars. And other things like that. You might not see most of them as the dangers they really are. Oh, and steer _way_ clear of the Sirens. Without a crew, you could be in trouble." Suddenly, I heard distant thunder.

"Oh, no." Annabeth and Percy exchanged glances. "We can't stay. We wish we could, but Zeus only let us come for half an hour..." Percy told me. Annabeth nodded.

"Sorry," she said, "But he's right. We have to go. Good luck, and we hope you find Calypso. And try not to die. Poor Calypso probably already thinks you abandoned her..."

"She _does_? I... I..." I stammered, "Can't you ask the gods to go tell her that I'm okay, and I'm coming for her? Please?"

"Sorry, Nico. We can't. They'll never listen to us. And, besides, what if you..." Percy's voice trailed of. He didn't want to mention the fact that I probably wouldn't make it out of the Sea of Monsters alive out loud.

"As we said, we have to go," Annabeth's voice cut into the awkward silence, "Let's _go_, Percy," she said, in a stronger voice, as if she couldn't stand to be here any longer.

"Sorry, Nico..." Percy repeated softly just before he and Annabeth disappeared into thin air with a thunderclap again. I put my head into my hands, realizing I'd gotten myself into a lot of trouble. Scylla and Charybdis were just on the horizon... But, then again, I hadn't searched the Sea of Monsters yet... Maybe Ogygia had been hiding in there the entire time!

* * *

Not long after, I had a clear view of Charybdis's mouth. She was an ugly thing; at first glance it seemed as if she was simply a huge hurricane: she made the water into a large whirlpool, but the dark, cloud-filled sky around her swirled as if it, too was affected by the way she drank up the ocean and spat it back out again. When I took a closer look, I saw a strange black coral reef with a fig tree growing right on top of it. Attached to the odd reef by sleek, black, ugly flippers was a giant mouth. Charybdis's mouth was the ugliest thing I'd ever seen: disgusting purple lips and teeth strung with underwater plants. No, those were braces! Disgusting metal braces which were disintegrating, rotting away, just like her blackened teeth were.

About half a mile apart from her was her sister, Scylla, perched atop her cliff-side dwelling. I had always thought she would be hidden inside her cave, ready to trap anyone who thought that no one was there, but instead, she showed herself. She had six ugly long necks topped with six horrible heads, each baring it's three rows of grimy teeth. Several tentacle-like legs waved at me from where they hung over the edge of the cliff. Six dog's heads circled her waist, and a striped cat's tail flicked back and forth as she watched me from twelve pairs of eyes. Each of her mouths gave me a sly grin, daring me to shy away from her sister and steer my boat within range of one of her horrible heads.

I turned my gaze away from Scylla and back onto my target: Charybdis's horrible mouth. I had gotten extremely close, I was maybe a hundred feet away from being sucked into the whirlpool. Charybdis grinned, as if she could tell, without eyes, that she was about to get a tasty dinner. Boy, was she wrong.

I aimed carefully, taking several minutes to choose my target. When I was about thirty feet away, I took my chances, praying to every god I knew to guide my throw. Her mouth was far away, farther than I'd ever thrown in my life, but I had to try. If I didn't throw it right then, I would never be able to pull my boat away from the strong tug of the swirling waters. I drew back my arm and threw the silvery packet as hard as I could, aiming in the general direction of her mouth.

Miraculously, the packet landed right between her lips, on her fuzzy tongue. As I watched, the packet sprang open, coating her mouth with some sort of gross blue powder. Charybdis gagged, but even as she did, the packet let loose a web of ropes that caught onto her braces. Some of the corroded brackets tore away from her teeth, drawing a strangled cry from her terrible maw, but the rest stayed caught, pulling her mouth closed.

Suddenly, a calm came over the ocean. Water washed over her, somehow clearing the clouds away with it. I steered my ship right over where Charybdis had been, venturing straight into the Sea of Monsters: the only place in the entire ocean that I hadn't checked, and maybe, the place where I would finally find Calypso.

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	6. I Encounter the Sirens

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians... But I sure wish I did :)_**

It was dawn, the next day. I had awoken to the sound of about three voices singing.

_Welcome back to the perfect world.  
You never meant to leave, but..._

_Silence. He wakes._ One voice calmed the others. The singing was replaced by the sounds of the sea: calm waves, a light breeze, and the occasional bird call.

Wait, bird call? That only happened on land! I hurried to the deck to see an island. A small figure was walking along the sea. As I neared, I could hear her voice ringing through the morning calm. Her caramel hair was loose, tossed in the light sea breeze. She wore a Greek dress that hung delicately to her ankles, revealing bare feet. Then she saw me.

Beckoning for me to come, she turned and walked into a small house. I hadn't payed very much attention to the island of Ogygia when I had visited the first time, but I knew the instant I saw it that that was the house Calypso had called her home. I steered full speed ahead to the island with a smile on my face. It was as if Calypso's beautiful voice was tugging me towards the shore!

The voice continued to pull me gently on an invisible line until I had followed her inside the house. I followed the singing to a room with a large mirror. Calypso was brushing her hair, and calmly tying it into a braid.

_Nico, what does the map say? _A voice cut into Calypso's song.

I ignored it, entranced by the beauty of Calypso's almond eyes.

_Nico, look at the map!_

I took a quick gulp of air and my eyes focused properly as the voice that had come out of nowhere covered the sound of Calypso's singing. I pulled the map out of my pocket.

The map had a huge red "You are here" arrow pointing at an island. Calypso's beautiful song was making it difficult for me to read... Silas... Sorens something?

Calypso stood and turned towards me, her voice never wavering. The map fell out of my hands as our eyes met. She took slow steps towards me, reaching out with two fingers to lift my chin. Her face came close to mine, and I closed my eyes, anticipating the moment when our lips would meet... She hadn't stopped singing yet.

_Gods, Nico, Sirens! You are on the island of the Sirens! _The voice explained.

As I took in what that meant, my eyes widened. I pulled away from 'Calypso' and ran. As I scrambled to get away, I stepped on her dress, tearing a strip off the bottom. An idea formed in my clouded head, and I quickly picked the fabric up, ripping it in two as I hurried away from the strange monster that was pursuing me, still singing as if she thought she still had a chance. Yes, she was still in my head, making it harder for me to get away, but once I had a plan, I always made it through. As long as the plan was good...

I balled up both pieces of cloth and stuffed them in my ears. I could still hear singing, but it sounded like three voices instead of one. When I turned towards 'Calypso' again, I saw her for what she really was. Well, a blend of what she really was... She looked kind of like those RealD 3D movies I had seen once: perfect if you wear the glasses(or take the cloth out of your ears), but once you take them off(or put them in...), you see more than one image, blending together slightly. In this case, it was three.

Three horrific monsters who shifted constantly to look like Calypso: they had terrible beaks, wrinkled pink necks, gray talons, disturbing teeth caked with blood and little pieces of cloth, and disgusting black feathers. Every once in a while, when the song was louder, their voices blended together and the three Sirens morphed into one, almost making me believe they were harmless again.

As I ran, one of the makeshift earplugs I had made fell onto the ground. I mashed my hand against my ear tightly and continued to sprint towards the shore.

I ran as fast as I could for the boat, but it wasn't working. The Sirens were catching up! I decided that I had to use my last resort.

I tried my best to concentrate while I ran. It didn't work! I would have to stop. I forced my feet to halt and I faced the Sirens, praying to all the gods I knew and concentrating for all my worth. Just as the Sirens were about to catch me, three skeletons erupted from the ground.

"Orders, master," they said.

"Uh... Keep those Sirens busy so I can escape!" I screamed, and turned to run, moving my feet as fast as I could. I glanced backwards, and I saw the skeletons occupying the Sirens, who still hadn't stopped singing.

* * *

I collapsed on the deck of my boat. I was finally out of earshot of the Sirens' singing, and I was exhausted. When I had rested for a while, I went below deck and fell asleep easily. I had had a long day.

**_Thanks for reading! Comment and tell me what you think!_**

**_Hey y'all! Hope you're having a good day! Just wanted to inform you that I may not post as often as I normally do (I have a ton of homework to catch up on). Thanks! :)  
_**


	7. My Ship Sinks

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians... But I sure wish I did :)_**

What was that?It sounded like...

Rushing water! Sure, I was in the ocean, but this sound was different that just waves. It was louder, stronger than even the biggest storm I'd been in. It didn't take me long to find out why.

I threw my covers off and jumped out of bed to find myself standing in about a foot and a half of cold sea water, which was deepening by the second. I waded through towards the door, frantically searching the walls for a leak, or a reason why there was so much water. By the time I'd checked three rooms, I was soaked up to the top of my chest, and the water was almost four feet high! I decided to follow the sound.

Then I found it. In the control room, about five feet off the ground, was a hole big enough to stick my head into. Water was pouring into the boat like crazy, filling the lower floor and sinking the boat further. I would never be able to plug that big of a hole! I had to get off, otherwise I would drown!

By then the icy water had reached my chest. I ran towards the ladder quickly and began to climb for the deck. As I reached the third rung, my foot slipped and I fell back into the water, soaking myself.

"Styx!" I exclaimed, and continued my ascent for the deck, where I found that it was pouring rain. I had an emergency bag stashed in my life boat. It should have contained everything I needed, but I would have to check, just in case.

I went to the edge of the ship, gripping the railing with white knuckles. It was sinking low enough that soon I would be able to reach out and touch the water! I had to hurry.

The life boat was hanging off the side of the ship, ready to go. It was made of sturdy, waterproof wood, and it had oars so I could attempt to choose a direction to go. Not that it would make a difference in the ocean, there was too much open space... An extra oar and a bucket for removing water lay in the bottom of the boat next to a large duffel bag.

I quickly opened the waterproof duffel and checked things off a list aloud.

"Extra clothing? Check. Non-perishable food items... check! Life jacket? Check. Emergency kit... check. Self-inflatable sleeping bag, check. Pillow... check. Weapons? Awh, Styx!"

I had left my weapons in my room, again! The ship was sinking dangerously close to the water level, but I couldn't risk leaving without at least a sword to protect me in case I landed on some hungry monster's island, which, in the Sea of Monsters, happened all the time. I ran for the ladder to go below.

"Styx!" I said again. "Styx!"

The water would cover my head if I tried to find a weapon. I would have to swim! I took a deep breath and plunged into the icy saltwater, kicking and doggy paddling for all my worth. I swam into my room and looked for a sword, a knife, anything! My eyes stung as I opened them further, looking every which way for _something_! None of the weapons were where I'd left them, neither the knife on the dresser or the sword hanging on the wall or even the bow and arrows in the closet that I had found on a deserted island the year before.

_They must have fallen off and sunk..._ I thought, scanning the floor. I was running out of air. I made my way back to the ladder and climbed up. By that time, the water had begun to spill onto the deck. The entire lower floor was underwater, and the boat was about to go completely under. I took a deep breath, deciding to give it one more try.

This time, I swam closer to the floor, searching carefully for anything that could be used as a weapon. As I swam next to the dresser, I felt a sharp pain in my left arm. I gasped, letting loose a stream of bubbles. The salt water stung my arm, and a little blood filled the water around me. I grasped at the wound and searched for the cause. What could it have been?

Then I saw it. My eyes were stinging badly, and with the added pain in my arm, I was sure that I would be crying if I was out of water, but I could still tell what it was. A thin blade was sticking out of the bottom drawer. I remembered! I had put it there that night because it had fallen off of the wall! I hastily grabbed it and returned to the deck.

The pain in my arm was excruciating. The salt water had made it sting, adding to the pain, but the rain had begun to wash the salt away, calming it and dulling the pain slightly. I ran for the life boat and got in quickly. Once I had detached it from the almost sunken boat, I relaxed, digging in the waterproof duffel for the first aid kit to fix up my arm. Unfortunately, it was raining so hard that I didn't have time to fix my arm. I had to save my energy for dumping bucketfuls of rain water out of the boat so I wouldn't end up joining my ship at the bottom of the ocean.

* * *

My arms ached more than they had ever ached in my life. I had spent all night and most of the new day dumping buckets of rain water out of the life boat, and my left arm was looking really bad. The sun was out, then, and I had emptied the last bucket of water a few minutes before. My stinging eyes were having a hard time concentrating. I needed sleep.

_If I ever make it back to land alive, I think I'm just going to give up on this search. The gods seem to be telling me that it's hopeless. I'll never make it. I'll die before I ever find her again. _I thought sadly.

As I was about to drift off, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a strip of yellow beach accented by a strip of green trees underneath the never ending sky.

"Thank the gods!" I said gratefully, looking towards the sky. I prayed it wasn't somewhere dangerous... With a last burst of strength, I picked up the oars and rowed as quickly as I could towards the land.

"Help!" I yelled hoarsely from a parched throat. "Help!"

No one seemed to hear. Was it another abandoned place? I continued rowing towards the island with everything I had. Finally, I fell the boat being pulled into a current.

"Please, Poseidon. Please let these waves take me all the way to the island..." I prayed just before I closed my eyes, allowing the oars to fall out of my hands into the water. The last thing I heard as I drifted off on the hard wooden bench was a female voice calling my name. "Nico? Nico, is that you?" But I was too exhausted to answer. My body went limp as I fell into a dark, scary place: a place I'd never been in before.

I think it's called unconsciousness.

**_Thanks for reading! Comment and tell me what you think!_**


	8. Forever and Always

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians... But I sure wish I did.**_

Ugh, why was it so bright? I tentatively opened one eye. Sunlight was streaming in through a window that covered an entire wall to my right. I groaned and turned to the left, pulling the blanket over my head.

"Ow!" I yelped, finally pulling myself out of sub-consciousness. I had rolled onto my cut arm. Looking at it, I realized that someone had tightly wound it with white linen. I couldn't see any blood stains on it. That was a good sign, right? I unrolled the strip of fabric and examined my wound. It looked like it was nearly healed. It was pretty much a gigantic scab, but it had obviously been a scab for a long time, because the edges were turning into scar tissue. It still hurt, but I knew it wouldn't hurt for much longer. It was healing fast. Someone had given me a healing potion or something.

I looked at the room around me. I was laying on a double bed that was about a foot off the ground. The room was decorated with furniture that looked as if it had jumped right out of a 2010 modern furniture catalog. Two walls were painted white, but the wall behind my head was black: to accent the white covers I was laying under. There were two open doors to my left. One led to a bathroom with a large jacuzzi and the other led to a hallway.

Bird songs filled the air. I decided to get a better look out the window to see if I could spot any inhabitants of the island.

"Whoa..." I said as I took a couple steps. My head was spinning slightly. I waited a moment to rid myself of the woozy feeling and then made my way over to the window. From where I stood on the second story of a house, I had the perfect view of a beach with sparkling blue water and bleached white sand decorated with exotic seashells. My little life boat was nowhere to be seen. Lush green grass accented by all kinds of flowers grew closer to the house. I spotted a clothesline to my right. Greek togas fluttered in the early morning breeze next to a pair of jeans and an orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. Wait, those were my clothes! I glanced down at myself. Yup. Definitely my clothes.

I shivered. My boxers were slightly damp. Had I wet them? Then I looked at my clothes on the clothesline and remembered the rain the day before. I had been soaked, so whoever lived here must have taken my clothes off and hung them to dry. But wait, where _were _the people? I scanned the outdoors. No one. Then I heard feet shuffling behind me.

"Hello?" I called. No answer. Suddenly, I saw the covers on the bed I hadn't bothered to make lift themselves up and straighten themselves out to perfection. It was as if an invisible hand had wiped all of the wrinkles away.

"Hello?" I called again. Still no answer, but I was convinced that someone was there, doing the housework, and I was slightly embarrassed that whoever it was had seen me in just my boxers. I decided to go out and get my clothes.

I walked along the hallway and down some stairs, peering into every room I passed. Each was decorated with modern furniture. Abstract and modern art adorned every wall. Colourful flowers accented dressers and bedside tables. Bright walls and large windows gave the house an open feel. I have to admit, I loved it much more than my dark cabin at camp and _way_ more than the Underworld.

I was almost sad when I reached the front door and ran out of rooms to look in. I was so busy reflecting on what I had just seen that I barely noticed the glass of Nectar floating towards me. I jumped when it was pressed into my hand. Warm fingers brushed mine, invisible fingers.

"Thank you," I said gratefully. I had expected an answer, but I heard footsteps walking away and I realized that whoever it was was gone. I slurped up the delicious juice, allowing it to fill my muscles with strength. Something small brushed my left arm, and I noticed that the scab had fallen away to leave a fading pink scar. The Nectar had something extra in it to speed up healing, I figured. Then I felt a breeze come in through the door. I shivered once again, feeling goosebumps crawl up my arm. Setting the glass of Nectar down on a cupboard, I rushed outside to the clothesline to put on my clothes.

Once I was dressed, I walked towards the beach, searching for people. Were they all invisible? Were they all mute? Or worse: deaf? And where was my life boat? Could I ever get off of this island? Emotions swirled through me, making my head spin again. The effects of the Nectar I had just drank seemed to vanish as I sank to the sand and rested my head between my knees, waiting for the moment of wooziness to pass.

I stared out into sea. All hope I had of finding Calypso was quickly vanishing. I would probably be stuck on this island forever, never to return. Or maybe something - a monster - would come and swallow me whole, now that his invisible servants had filled me with Nectar so I would taste better... Hey, anything could happen!

"Ah, you are awake, young hero." The voice came from behind me. It was familiar, but I didn't dare look to see who it was, for fear of disappointment. "Nico? Rise!"

I obeyed. Turning towards the speaker, I felt tears rushing into my eyes. Could it really be? But I didn't believe it until she caught me up in a warm embrace, them pulled away slightly to meet my lips in a heated kiss. Calypso!

"You've come home! I thought you had left on purpose..."

"No! I would never- I've been searching since that day... Four years! I thought I'd never find you... I was about to give up."

"I am so glad you've returned!" Calypso's loose hair whipped my face gently in the breeze. That was when I realized our faces were still inches apart. We couldn't bear to pull away from each other. She kissed me again, softly.

"I love the house," I remarked when she pulled away, "but how..." Calypso grinned at me.

"Hermes has been spending a lot of time with me lately. He showed me a book-it had 'pictures' of furniture in it. I like it, too, but I still do not understand how it is possible to take something that is real and past it onto a flat page."

"Technology has come a long way since you've been around..." I smiled back. "Hey, when did you get those invisible... Umm..."

"Servants?" Calypso threw her head back in laughter. Gods, she looked so beautiful when she laughed. "Oh, Nico, you missed a lot last time you were here! I have had those servants since I was first exiled! You should pay more attention."

I felt a little stupid. I really had missed a lot. I hadn't even realized that this was Ogygia until Calypso had appeared! "Oh," was all I could say. Then I grinned back at her.

"So, um..." I fumbled, trying desperately to avoid the awkward silence that had fallen between us. Calypso looked amused as I searched for something to say. I had never thought that there would be so little to talk about. It was silent again. All I could hear was the ocean, bird calls, and Calypso's shallow breathing. Wait, shallow breathing?

She took a step closer to me, closing the space between us. Her lips found mine easily and her eyes fluttered closed. I threaded my hands through her hair. A million thoughts ran through my mind as we embraced as if we'd been made for each other. I thought about the day we'd first met, how I would never have given a second thought about love. I realized that it was a miracle that I kissed her that first time, how quickly I'd fallen in love, as if by magic. I marveled at the fact that the longer I'd searched for her, the more I loved her and missed her. I'd felt as if I'd known her all my life. And then, through all of the trials I'd faced, I'd always felt like someone had been with me, helping me along. It wasn't my father. Never my father. It was always someone else...

And then I remembered the voice in the Sirens lair. I would be dead if it weren't for that voice... It was obviously a goddess, the voice had been female, and heroes couldn't do anything like that. My thoughts raced, trying to put the pieces together. A sudden fall into love, and a goddess who wanted nothing more than for me to find Ogygia.

Could it really be that simple? I mean, I had never thought that any god would even give me a second thought, let alone _Aphrodite_... But obviously I had been wrong. I mean, it had to be her! How else would a son of Hades fall into love, and who else would want me to find my way back to Calypso? Only the love goddess would. But why?

I remembered a story Percy had told me long ago, about his first meeting with Aphrodite. What had he told me? She had said that she was going to make his love life miserable. A good tragic love story. That was it! She had put me through all of this trouble for a tale to recount to the other gods. I thought it was stupid, but I would never understand the gods...

Calypso finally pulled away. She pulled me along by the hand towards the house.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. I shook my head. Somehow I could tell that wasn't why she wanted me to come inside...

* * *

That night, as Calypso was tending to her garden, I watched her, memorizing every little detail. I tried hard to engrave every sound, scent, and texture into my long-term memory: the way Calypso's golden braid hung over her shoulder, the way her eyes sparkled, the golden designs embroidered onto her toga. I smiled at the way her bare toes curled into the sand, glad to be freed from her sandals. There were flowers in every colour known to man in her garden, and many in colours I didn't recognize. Majestic colours. Colours of the gods. The green of the plants was greener than any green I'd ever seen. I memorized the scents of the flowers, the scent of the perfumed soap Calypso had used, the scent of the crisp sea air, salty sweet. The texture of the linen dress Calypso wore. The softness of her loose hair. The warmth of her hand intertwined with mine. The waxen petals of the flowers. The smooth sand. I memorized every detail I could possibly take in.

Curled up with my arm around Calypso in the low double bed that night, I recalled everything I had tried so hard to memorize. Surprisingly, I could remember everything with ease! But nothing compared to the feel of Calypso's sleeping body against mine: she felt fragile, yet strong. Warm, yet chillingly cold. A goddess was so much different than a human. I took pride in knowing that she would be mine forever. No one could tear us apart. But if they did, I would keep looking until I found her again. Searching for Ogygia. Forever, if I had to. Because no one would ever keep me away from my first love. My only love.

Forever and always.

_**Thank you all for reading! :)**_


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